Bedside Confessions 2
by NURSE J0Y
Summary: Sequel to Bedside Confessions. Takes place at the conclusion of the Heart of Hush storyline. Selina is recovering in the hospital and has quite the unexpected visit from a reformed Riddler armed with flowers.


Twirling his cane, Edward Nigma strolls out of the elevator and makes his way down the hospital corridor. He counts the room numbers as he passes, the feeling of dread building as the numbers rise.

Hospitals had always had that effect on him. They reminded him of every time his father beat him senseless and every time the Batman foiled yet another one of his plans. The smell of antiseptic. Endless X-rays and CAT scans. Needles and thread. Scissors and glue. The hopelessness he felt during his fight with the cancer eating away at his mind. The shameful defeat at the hands of Hush. All that time slept away in a coma after his little whack to the head.

The butterflies begin to swarm within his stomach as he stops in front of room 850. He's reached his destination. Staring down at the vase of flowers tucked safely into the crook of his arm, he gulps down the knot forming in the back of his throat and inches towards the threshold.

Sticking his head into the room, he can just barely make out her face in the dim light. The ghostly pallor to her skin is alarming. It's like she's somewhere between death and sleep. A dark, ethereal angel lying motionless on the hospital bed. She looks so weak and powerless. Peaceful, almost. Any two-bit criminal wanting to make a name for themselves could easily finish her off. Pull the plug. Slip cyanide into her IV. Suffocate her with a pillow. Slit her throat. Become a legend overnight with the flick of the wrist.

He's never seen her in such a lowly state and is not sure exactly as to how he is supposed to feel about that. Pity? Hurt? Sad? Happy? Cynical? Vengeful? Delighted? His all-knowing brain can't seem to comprehend the swirl of emotions playing with his mind at this moment.

One thing's for certain. The almighty Catwoman has surely been broken.

He stands there for a moment, loitering in the doorway as he watches her sleeping. Watching in relief as her chest rises and falls. Nervously, he taps his fingers along the top of his trademark cane, deliberating whether or not he should proceed. He tells himself that he shouldn't be here, that acts of kindness aren't programmed into his DNA, but never-the-less, something within him tells him to move forward. Almost subconsciously, he takes a step towards her, then another as his body takes on a mind of its own. His eyes remain transfixed on her porcelain face as he enters the room.

There's hardly time to react as some great, invisible force grabs him by the neck and pulls him up off his feet and slams him against the wall. Edward chokes back his surprise as all air leaves his lungs. He grabs hold of his attacker's large, brutish hands, as if he could fight back. Glaring into his attacker's eyes, he sneers in disgust.

A set of piercing blue eyes glare back at him, burning a hole through his very soul. He knows that cold, hard stare well. He's seen it many times before, although cannot for the life of him pinpoint just where. The answer is staring him right in the face, hiding in plain sight, stuck on the tip of his tongue, but he cannot find the words. Blasted amnesia. Edward can feel a growl rise within him.

"What are you doing here?" Bruce Wayne growls in a voice much more akin to the Dark Knight than some playboy billionaire.

Edward's eyes shift, quickly scanning the room for any means to defend himself. Noticing a pair of groggy, yet very much alive, emerald-green eyes staring at him, Edward smirks through the pain and manages a reply.

"Selina, dear... _ack_... Would you please instruct your overgrown baboon of a boyfriend to release me? He's ruining my suit."

"Bruce…" Selina wearily sighs.

With just one word, Bruce lowers Edward to the ground, however reluctantly.

"Pussy whipped." Edward scoffs quietly as he dusts himself off and straightens his tie. Without a reply, Bruce just glares at him silently.

"I haven't come here to harm her." Edward begins with the wave of his hand. "If you really must know… I've come to _check in_ on Miss Kitty. See how she's _feeling_. Be the good friend that I am and all that heartwarming crap seeing now that we're both a part of the same _club_." With a rather smug grin, Edward flamboyantly raises his hand to his heart to emphasize his point. "Hush Victims Anonymous."

Removing his hat and cane, Edward tosses them nonchalantly onto the chair nearby before making his way about the room, eying the various charts and medical equipment with ever the slightest of interest.

"I didn't know you two were that close." Bruce sneers as he watches Edward's every move.

Stopping in front of her heartbeat monitor, Edward folds his arms across his chest and rests his head in his hand, scratching his chin as if deep in thought.

"Ah yes, well… You see… I used to work for her _father_." Edward slyly replies with a mischievous grin, earning a suspicious look from Bruce and a less than happy glare from Selina. "Why, Selina. Have you ever told your beau about our time together in Rome? Hn. Now that was quite the trip. Very… _exposing_."

Fed up with the former rogue's mind games, Bruce steps within Edward's personal space, becoming a barrier between him and Selina.

"Ohhh… Did I touch a nerve, Brucie?"

Like two peacocks with their plumage spread, they stand their ground and stare each other down. They bare their teeth. Their nostrils flare. Both alphas in their own rights, there is no room for the two of them within her presence.

"Edward…"

His concentration broken, Edward's eyes grow wide. Without warning, he shoves the vase of flowers into Bruce's arms and pushes him aside before taking a seat by Selina's bedside. Taking hold of her hand, he firmly grasps it to his heart.

"EDWARD? Now I know this is serious. I don't believe you have ever called me by my full name. Why… You mustn't be well. Are you ok, Selina? Can I get you anything? Maybe one of those little Jell-O cups they serve down in the cafeteria. Shall I fetch a nurse? More morphine perhaps? Anything. Anything at all… Tell me, Selina, how are you feeling?"

Managing through the pain, Selina can't help but laugh at Edward's rather uncharacteristic display of concern and affection for someone besides himself. And for her, none the less.

"I feel like I'm down to eight lives."  
>"Well, you look more like you're down to four or five."<p>

"Fuck you, Eddie." Selina hisses as she retrieves her hand from his.

"Oooohhh..." Edward squeals in delight, his hands on his knees like an excited child. "I didn't realize this was a conjugal visit." Glancing over his shoulder, he takes note of the dark and brooding man behind him. "He has to leave, though. Him standing over me like that would only give me performance anxiety. And besides... I never did care for any of that kinky stuff."

Selina glances at Bruce, her eyes almost pleading. No words need be said. With just that one look, Bruce reluctantly nods his reply.

"I'll be just outside if you need anything, Selina."

Softly kissing her forehead, Bruce turns to leave. Grinning ear to ear, Edward can't help but feel victorious.

"I'll be watching you." Bruce warns as he glares down at Edward one last time.

Edward huffs as Bruce forcefully shoves the vase of flowers back into his arms before storming out of the room. Silently Edward counts the seconds until he can no longer hear his footsteps in the hall.

"Really, Eddie… What are you doing here?" Selina questions, the tone of her voice strained but serious. Her eyes lock with his, making him uncomfortable.

"I brought you flowers." Edward replies, holding up the vase for her to see. Noticing her less-than-enthused expression, Edward places the vase by her bedside and searches for a more suitable answer. "It's like I said. Can't a guy check in on a buddy in need?"

"Buddy?" Selina scoffs with the roll of her eyes.

"Comrade."

She quirks a brow.

"Other synonyms include: Friend. Chum. Ally. Colleague. Pal. Mate..."

"Since when have we been any of those things?" Selina sighs. "And no… No you can't just _check in_. You want something… Don't you? What are you planning? What's really going on, Eddie?"

Edward nervously shifts in his seat. Staring down at his wrists, he finds comfort in idly twirling his cufflinks.

"The truth is, Selina… I…" With a deep breath, he swallows down the knot forming in the back of his throat and continues. His tone becomes serious, matching hers. "After I was laid up in the hospital… No one came to visit. No one but _you_… How sad is that? That the only person in this whole wide world caring enough to come check on me is _you_. I haven't exactly been _kind _to you over the years… But you were right. Every word you said was true. I heard it all, you know? I may have been in a coma, but my mind was sharp as ever. These gears are always turning. I believe that's how you put it." With a rather sheepish smile, Edward taps his head with his finger to emphasize the point. Returning his hands to his lap, his smile dissipates and he continues. "I never got a chance to thank you, but I guess it's always better late than never. One good deed deserves another, I suppose. So… Selina… Thank you."

"Eddie… You don't have to-"

This isn't what he had planned. This isn't how he saw it playing out in his head at all. Something within him snaps and his mind shuts down completely. All rational thought process turns to mush. The torch he's held for so long can hardly be contained. His actions cannot be explained. Leaning in, he quickly places his mouth over hers, ceasing her dialogue. She trembles beneath him as he cups her face in his hand. Her eyes widen in shock.

This isn't the first time they have kissed, but it certainly is the first time he has ever been the one to initiate the display of affection.

The first time she had kissed him, it was done through deceit. He had drugged her with fear toxin and she was merely hallucinating, imagining him to be a much more heroic, broader and pointy eared fellow. The second time, he had been in a coma. Laid out on a hospital bed and unable to appreciate or return the gesture. This time, however, it's all _his_ doing. _He's_ in control. Her will is _his_ to command. His heart skips a beat as he feels her body melt beneath him and she returns his kiss.

The feeling is surprising and delightful. He can feel the dopamine coursing through his veins, playing with his mind. He relishes in the sound of her heart rate jumping on the monitor nearby as their kiss becomes more forceful. Her tongue runs circles inside his head, canceling all thoughts inside his brain but her.

What is the greatest riddle of all?

There was a time when he had thought the answer to that question was the Batman, now he knows that he had long since been a fool. If he were to truly put his mind to it, the identity of the Dark Knight is a riddle that can easily be solved. But to ask, "Who is the Catwoman?" Now that is a riddle that can never truly have an answer. A riddle truly worthy of the Sphinx, itself.

Sure… One could say the answer is none other than Selina Kyle. Or perhaps even Irena Dubrovna, Elva Barr, Sadie Kelowski… Selina Falcone. All of those names would be true to some degree, but never really defining her.

The truth is, she's the sort of woman whose skeletons in the closets have skeletons in the closets. A riddle within a riddle. A woman who has no affiliation to alliances, but instead chooses to walk along the fence, playing sides as she sees fit. She does not exist on paper, or the grid. Lives within society but not amongst it. She is a woman without rhyme or reason. A puzzle that Edward cannot ever put down. Despite how hard he tries to stay away, he can never truly get her off his mind. She is his friend, and in this cold, dark world in which they live in, a friend is more valuable than all the luxuries money can buy.

Tomorrow may fall and they'll find themselves stabbing each other in the back once more, but tonight, right now, they find that little bit of peace and comfort they've been missing for so long. Years of heavy flirtation, sideways glances, and mind games finally erupting into a battle of lips rather than wits.

She makes him feel alive.

He runs his fingers through her short, raven locks and smiles as she playfully kisses the corners of his mouth. She opens her heavy eyes and stares into his soul. Bright, green emeralds. Precious gems. Sparkling and wild, yet soft and tender. Vulnerable. These are the answers to her riddle. Answers only he is most capable and daring enough to find.

He smiles and whispers to her lips, "When in Rome." So quiet and intimate. Enigmatic. A secret shared only between them.

Her warm breath on his lips, the purr in her voice sends shivers down his spine. He smiles and kisses her one last time. This time more tender and sweet. Something he didn't think himself capable of, but finds himself fully enjoying, until finally they separate.

His fingers linger in her hair for just a moment longer before he sits himself upright and begins straightening his tie. He wants so desperately to tell her how he feels, how he's _always_ felt, but cannot find the words. For the first time in a very long time, the former Prince of Puzzles finds himself at a loss. Stumped. Instead he anxiously gets up from his seat and makes his way towards the door.

"So… um… I guess I'll see ya around." Edward remarks with a blush as he tries to return to his usual smooth-talking self. "Take care of yourself, Selina."

With the tip of his bowler hat, he's gone, down the hallway, making his way back towards the elevators, hoping that he doesn't run into a certain brooding billionaire again. Beating a man such as Bruce Wayne in matters of the mind is one thing, but matters of the heart… It is not simply a game he is suited to succeed in, nor does he expect to win. But still…

Stopping mid-stride, Edward can't help but smile warmly as he glances over his shoulder one last time.

There's always hope.


End file.
